MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO 30

ANSWERED ON 07.07.2014

OPENING OF POST OFFICES

30 . Shri NALIN KUMAR KATEEL

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:-

(a) the number of post offices in the rural and urban areas in the country, Circle/ Category-wise; 

(b) the number of post offices proposed to be opened in the country during the current year; 

(c) the number of post offices closed during the last three years and the current year along with the reasons therefor; 

(d) whether the Government has any proposal to operate Railway Passenger Reservation through post offices in the country; and 

(e) if so, the details thereof and the action taken by the Government in this regard?

ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY & LAW AND JUSTICE (SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD)

(a) Circle-wise number of Post Offices in rural and urban areas in the country (as on 31.3.2014) is at Annexure-I. 

(b) Circle-wise number of Post Offices proposed to be opened by redeployment & relocation in the country during the current financial year is at Annexure-II. 

(c) Circle-wise number of Post Offices closed during 2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14 & 2014-15 is at Annexure-III. Post Offices were closed down as a result of merger on need to vacate rented premises and relocation of post offices resulting from rationalization to cater to new habitations. 

(d) & (e) The Department of Posts has been providing Railway Passenger Reservation (booking/ cancellation) facility through Post Offices in association with Ministry of Railways since 2007. As on December, 2013 this service is being offered through 281 Post Offices.

LOK SABHA ANNEXURED UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 30 DATED 7.07.2014 

Annexure-I

Circle-wise number of Post Offices in  Rural and Urban areas in  the country (as on 31.3.2014)

Sl. No.	Name of the Circles	No. of Post Offices in Rural area	No. of Post Offices in Urban area
1	Andhra Pradesh	14815	1335
2	Assam	3642	372
3	Bihar	8591	473
4	Chhattisgarh	2878	266
5	Delhi	83	478
6	Gujarat	8193	788
7	Haryana	2329	344
8	Himachal Pradesh	2662	118
9	Jammu & Kashmir	1502	197
10	Jharkhand	2829	270
11	Karnataka	8607	1072
12	Kerala	4209	858
13	Madhya Pradesh	7476	842
14	Maharashtra	11559	1297
15	North East	2686	228
16	Odisha	7570	596
17	Punjab	3408	445
18	Rajasthan	9668	662
19	Tamil Nadu	10265	1801
20	Uttar Pradesh	15747	1933
21	Uttarakhand	2508	214
22	West Bengal	7955	1111
	Total	139182	15700

           Annexure-II

Circle-wise number of Post Offices proposed to be opened by redeployment &

relocation  in the country during the current financial year 2014-15

Sl. No.	Name of the Circles	No. of Post Offices
1	Andhra Pradesh	11
2	Assam	8
3	Bihar	5
4	Chhattisgarh	9
5	Delhi	4
6	Gujarat	8
7	Haryana	8
8	Himachal Pradesh	6
9	Jammu & Kashmir	4
10	Jharkhand	8
11	Karnataka	8
12	Kerala	2
13	Madhya Pradesh	10
14	Maharashtra	9
15	North East	9
16	Odisha	8
17	Punjab	7
18	Rajasthan	8
19	Tamil Nadu	8
20	Uttar Pradesh	11
21	Uttarakhand	4
22	West Bengal	5
	Total	160

Annexure-III

Circle-wise number of  Post Offices closed during   2011-12 , 2012-13,  2013-14 & 2014-15

Sl. No.	Name of the Circles	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15 (Upto 30.06.2014)
1	Andhra Pradesh	0	0	0	0
2	Assam	2	0	2	0
3	Bihar	0	0	0	0
4	Chhattisgarh	0	0	0	0
5	Delhi	0	0	0	0
6	Gujarat	1	1	1	0
7	Haryana	1	4	4	0
8	Himachal Pradesh	0	0	0	0
9	Jammu & Kashmir	1	0	0	0
10	Jharkhand	0	0	0	0
11	Karnataka	67	16	0	0
12	Kerala	7	10	2	0
13	Madhya Pradesh	0	0	0	0
14	Maharashtra	0	0	0	0
15	North East	5	3	4	0
16	Odisha	0	0	2	0
17	Punjab	7	0	0	0
18	Rajasthan	0	0	0	0
19	Tamil Nadu	1	0	0	0
20	Uttar Pradesh	0	1	8	0
21	Uttarakhand	0	0	0	0
22	West Bengal	0	0	0	0
	Total	92	35	23	0